Dr Veron Ramsuran graduated with a PhD in Genetics from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He was then recruited to join the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard as a post-doctoral research fellow, during which he had a joint affiliation with the National Institute of Health (NIH). Dr Ramsuran is currently a Senior Lecturer within the University of KwaZulu-Natal, College of Health Sciences. He is also a UK Royal Society and AAS Future Leader African Independent Research (FLAIR) Research Fellow, Group Leader at KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Associate Scientist at Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) and a Guest Researcher at the National Cancer Institute at NIH.  Dr Ramsuran is interested in examining the effect Host Genetics play on HIV and TB disease. He has special interest in examining the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) genes, the epicentre of disease associations across the human genome, as determined by genome wide association studies. He has authored several high impact publications including a first author paper in Science. In addition, he has been the recipient of numerous honours and awards. 

Dr Gavin Rishworth is a Marine Biologist and a Senior Lecturer in the Zoology Department at the Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. He graduated with his PhD in Oceanography in 2017, after completing all his previous biological sciences studies at the Nelson Mandela University. His research has been supported by full scholarships and fellowships awarded by the National Research Foundation of South Africa (MSc and PhD) and the Claude Leon Foundation (postdoctoral fellowship). Gavin studies many of the creatures and processes of the sea, from fish and seabirds, to unique and unusual coastal pools called 'stromatolites'. He has published over 35 international peer-reviewed scientific articles on his research. His recent work seeks to uncover how modern stromatolites might provide a glimpse into those early conditions which allowed complex life to evolve on Earth. His focus is on the links between microbial mat formation and metazoan bioturbation, including food-web dynamics and evolutionary drivers of biodiversity in space and time. Gavin is passionate about teaching and science communication, and regularly engages with university, high school and exchange students and the public about coastal and biological scientific intrigues. He has also presented his research discoveries internationally, including in Mozambique, Peru, Canada, Australia, England and Germany, and enjoys translating and sharing his science using interesting, understandable stories. Gavin is also on Twitter @gavinrish where he shares much of his research journey

Lobna A. Said is a full-time Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science and the Nano-Electronics Integrated System Research Center (NISC), Nile University (NU). She received the B.Sc., the M.Sc., and the PhD degrees in electronics and communications from Cairo University, Egypt, in 2007, 2011, and 2016, respectively. She has H-index 14, and more than 570 citations based on the Scopus database. She has over 78 publications distributed between high-impact journals, conferences, and book chapters. She was involved in many research grants as a Senior Researcher, or as a Co-PI from different national organizations. Her research interests are interdisciplinary, including system modelling, control techniques, optimization techniques, analog and digital integrated circuits, fractional-order circuits and systems, non-linear analysis, and chaos theory. She has received the Recognized Reviewer Award from many international journals. She is the Vice-Chair of research activities at the IEEE Computational Intelligence Egypt Chapter. She has received the Excellence Award from the Center for the Development of Higher education and Research in 2016.

She is the Winner of Dr Hazem Ezzat Prize for the outstanding researcher, NU 2019. She is one of the top 10 researchers at NU for the year 2018-2019. Recently, she was selected as a member of the Egyptian Young Academy of Sciences (EYAS) to empower and encourage Egyptian young scientists in science and technology and build knowledge-based societies. Also, she is the IEEE NU student branch counselor. She is in the technical program committee for many International Conferences.

Dr Helena Shilomboleni is a Postdoctoral Fellow and Scaling Specialist with the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) East Africa region. She holds a PhD in Social and Ecological Sustainability (2017) and MA in Global Governance (2012) from the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Her research broadly examines how best to achieve food security among Africa’s smallholder farmers in a manner that is both sustainable and equitable, and has analysed contributions from the African Green Revolution and the Food Sovereignty Movement. In recent years, her work focuses on international development efforts to scale up climate-smart innovations in smallholder food and agricultural systems under the new realities of climate change. She has led cross-project synthesis work on lessons learned from scaling up food security innovations in smallholder agriculture for the International Development Research Center (IDRC) and Farm Radio International. At CCAFS East Africa, she is currently supporting program efforts to increase the availability and accessibility of climate smart agriculture innovations in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda under the Climate Resilient Agribusiness for Tomorrow (CRAFT) Project in order to build resilient food systems in East Africa.

Jessica is a Namibian social-ecological systems scientist with a background in ecology and human geography. She currently holds a Climate Research 4 Development and African Women in Climate Change fellowship at the African Climate and Development Initiative (UCT) and Postdoctoral Research Associateship at the Department of Environment and Geography (University of York). She is also a Next Einstein Forum Fellow 2019-2021, chapter scientist for the IPCC Africa AR6, and is an affiliate member of the African Academy of Science 2020-2024, University of Nairobi and African Conservation Centre. She uses probabilistic social-ecological modelling and scenario analysis to measure impacts of development on land use change. Currently, Jessica is working on a collaborative capacity building project, using participatory scenario planning to measure potential impacts of Chinese foreign direct investment in transportation corridors. She is also leading a project predicting the synergies and trade-offs of ecological infrastructure in peri-urban areas. Previously, she assessed the potential impact of climatic and demographic change on local actor decisions and land use in mountain social-ecological systems, and biodiversity and ecosystem services in smallholder agricultural landscapes.

Jessica has been involved in various ESRC, IDRC, GCRF, CR4D, NSF, NERC, NRF, DFID, CGIAR, IDRC, ESRC, and USAID funded projects, conducting field research in Nepal, India, China, Vietnam, Tanzania, Namibia, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Switzerland, Mozambique and Peru.  Professional activities have been affiliated with the UN (e.g., Environment Programme and International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction), governments (e.g., South Africa, Ghana), NGOs (e.g., Conservation International, WWF), working closely with local stakeholders across sectors and scales to generate new information. She has similarly conducted research for the Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security, Centre for International Forestry Research, Kew Royal Botanical Gardens, Cambridge, London School of Economics, and Brown University. Jessica sits on advisory boards for five CBOs, is an elected member of the Global Environmental Facility, has advocated for ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction and UNFCCC COP, and is a contributing author to The Economic of Ecosystems and Biodiversity reports. She has taught on international courses and supervised various PhD and MSc students. She completed her BSocSci(Hons) at UCT, MSc and DPhil at Oxford, and postdoctoral studies at Colorado State University and ETH Zurich.

Expertise:

Social-ecological systems; biodiversity and ecosystem services; urban resilience; development corridors; global environmental change; participatory modelling; climate variability and risk; adaptation; wellbeing; climate-smart agriculture

Project websites:

 https://developmentcorridors.org/ 

https://www.york.ac.uk/environment/research/kite/

 http://www.acdi.uct.ac.za/

Dr Loko Yêyinou Laura Estelle is a lecturer of Zoology and Genetics at the National High School of Applied Biosciences and Biotechnologies (ENSBBA) of the National University of Sciences, Technologies, Engineering and Mathematics (UNSTIM) in Republic of Benin. She is graduated from the University of Yaoundé I (Cameroon) with a Master’s degree in Animal biology and a first grade teacher diploma for secondary school in 2006. She remained at the University of Abomey-Calavi (Benin) to complete her Master’s degree in applied entomology and PhD in plant genetic resources and crop protection in 2013. The same year, she was also graduated from the University of Versailles St Quentin en Yvelines (France) with a Master degree in Health Sciences, Environment, Territory and Society.

Dr LOKO Yêyinou Laura Estelle is the responsible of the Laboratory of Applied Entomology (LEnA) at the ENSBBA.  Her current research interests deal with the development and implementation of innovative and environmentally friendly integrated crop pest management practices. She has published more than 40 scientific papers in international journals. She is a recipient of several grants and awards such as the L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Sub-Saharan Africa award in 2014. She is a member of the Academy of Young Scientists of Benin (AJSB), member of the Permanent Commissions of "Agriculture" and "Education and Ethics" of the National Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters of Benin (ANSALB). She is also member of the African Association of Entomologists (AAIS), member of the Executive Board of the Entomological Society of the Republic of Benin (SERB) and member of the Association of Women for Education, Training and Scientific Research in Benin (AFEFRS).

I completed a PhD in Epidemiology at the University of Basel and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) in Switzerland in June 2017 on the topic “Anthropogenic impacts on Aedes mosquito community dynamics in Côte d’Ivoire”. I undertook my PhD under a Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship for Foreign Students at Swiss Higher Education Institutions (FCS/ESKAS). I acquired a solid foundation through advanced courses in Public Health thus allowing me to conduct research successfully, and publish findings in peer-reviewed international journals, including “PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, PLoS One, and Parasites and Vectors”.

After my PhD, I returned home (Côte d’Ivoire), where I have actively supported peers (e.g., postdocs, students, technicians) and projects on mosquito-borne diseases, mainly arboviruses, malaria and lymphatic filariasis. I am currently the Study Director for Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) programme for vector control at the Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire (CSRS) and an Assistant Professor at the Centre d’Entolomologie Médicale et Vétérinaire (CEMV) at the Alassane Ouattara University (AOU) in Côte d’Ivoire.

My main research interests include the impacts of anthropogenic changes (i.e., urbanization, agricultural land use, deforestation, chemicals use, etc.) on the ecologies of Aedes vectors and arboviruses (e.g., yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya, Zika, etc.), and control of diseases in Africa. As a study director, I developed documentation (e.g., quality manuals and SOPs) for GLP accreditation. I conduct GLP and non-GLP studies/trials on the bio-efficacy of insecticide-treated tools (e.g., LLINs, IRS, etc.) against malaria vectors in phase I, II and III.

Dr. Nelson Casimiro Zavale is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education of EduardoMondlane University (UEM), in Mozambique, where, since 2017, he has been serving as Director of the Quality Assurance Office. He is (2018–2021) Humboldt Research Fellow at the International Centre for Higher Education Research (INCHER) of the University of Kassel, in Germany, and he was a Swiss government excellence post-doctoral fellow at University of Basel in Switzerland. He has previously held other management positions such as Head of Department of Quality Asurance (2013-2016) and Deputy-Dean for Research and Extension (2016-2017) at the Faculty of Education of the Eduardo Mondlane University.  He has been involved in several research and consultancies projects funded by national agencies (e.g. Ministries of Education, Higher Education, Science and Technology) and international organizations (e.g. SIDA-SAREC, World Bank). His research interests focus on sociology of education, higher education studies, university-industry linkages, science policy and scientometrics. He has published several articles in reputable journals in his field, and he has also (co-) authored some book-chapters and books. He has also been serving as reviewer of several scientific journals.  

Dr Jean Noël Djobo Yankwa is a researcher at the Local Materials Promotion Authority (MIPROMALO), a research institute under the Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation of Cameroon. He obtained his PhD in Inorganic chemistry from the University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon, in 2017.

His research interest includes the valorization of readily available natural resources (clay, volcanic ash, laterite, etc.) and industrial by-products for the development of eco-friendly cement-based materials with improved properties. Actually, he is working on the development of an innovative CO2-free cementitious matrix based on aluminosilicate phosphate cement for the application as rapid repair materials for damaged roads, bridges and buildings. The cementitious matrix developed is also tested for the encapsulation of radioactive waste and toxic metals contaminated soils. He is carrying that project at the Technische Universität Berlin where he is a research fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt foundation. So far Dr. Djobo is co-authors of dozens of research and review papers published in international peer-review journals and has attended many international conferences. He is also acting as a reviewer for several high ranked SCI-journals from his field of research and is also guest editor of the Frontier in Materials journals. He is a member of the scientific society RILEM (The International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Structures) where through his activities together with other experts promotes the advancement of scientific knowledge in the field of construction and building materials chemistry.

Dr.Reham Abo-Shnaf, a post-doctoral fellow in “Mite Taxonomy” at Universidade de São Paulo (USP)/(ESALQ), São Paulo, Brasil; M.Sc. and PhD degrees in “Acarology” at Cairo University, the Faculty of Agriculture, Zoology and Agricultural Nematology Department, Giza, Egypt. She is a mite taxonomist and biologist. She is currently a Senior Researcher at the Vegetable and Aromatic Plant Mites Department, Plant Protection Research Institute (PPRI), Agricultural Research Centre (ARC), Dokii, Giza, Egypt. Have skills in applied acarology and plant protection. Interested in agronomy, mite taxonomy and biological pest management as well as the production of hydroponic vegetables. Has extensive scientific background with more than 17 years of experience in the implementation of agricultural research in different scientific areas including (i) mite/insect pests ecology and control operations; (ii) design and carrying out different experiments for testing techniques of pest control; (iii) research work using pathogens and natural enemies against mite/insect pests; (iv) IPM techniques for controlling mite/insect pests; (v) mass production of predacious mites/insects. In addition to data analysis, and application of results as well as monitoring progress. As part of multidisciplinary teams, she has gained extensive knowledge and experience to impact on agriculture through improved IPM technology. She taught courses at Zoology and Agricultural Nematology Department, the Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University (CU), Giza, Egypt from 2004 to 2009. Published about 26 research articles, with four articles in press and seven in preparation (> 44 citations; h-index of 4). Have been a technical reviewer for the editorial boards of ten peer-reviewed journals since 2011.

Isaac Akinwumi is a Senior Lecturer in Civil Engineering and the Postgraduate Coordinator of the Department of Civil Engineering at Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria. He received his Bachelor of Engineering degree in Civil Engineering from the Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria and his Master of Engineering and PhD degrees in Civil Engineering from Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria.

He is a Commonwealth Scholar, having received the Commonwealth Split-site PhD Scholarship Award in 2015, which ensured he spent a year as a Visiting Postgraduate Researcher at the University of the West of England, Bristol, UK. He was a member of the UNLEASH Founding Class, as an SDG Talent during the 2017 UNLEASH Innovation Lab, which took place at Denmark. He is a Co-Investigator on two seed funding (Frontiers of Engineering Development and Frontiers of Development) projects funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng), UK. He was the Technical Chair of the International Conference on Sustainable Infrastructural Development (ICSID) 2019.

His research works/interest are in the areas of Geotechnical Engineering (soil improvement, landfill lining and groundwater protection), sustainable construction materials and Environmental Engineering (waste management; water, sanitation and hygiene; marine plastic pollution; and pollution prevention). He is an author/co-author of over 60 peer-reviewed scientific papers.

He is the Financial Secretary of the prestigious Nigerian Young Academy (NYA), a Corporate Member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, a Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and a Registered Engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).

Dr Ebenezer F. Amankwaa is an Urban Geographer and a Lecturer at the Department of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana. He is also a Visiting Fellow at Loughborough University, UK. He has previously worked as a Research Fellow at the United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA) and a Fellow of the Bosch Pan-African College on Sustainable Cities.

His research interest spans across the fields of social, economic and development geography with specific focus on water, sanitation and energy infrastructure; informality, mobility and livelihood; environmental management; public health; and governance, policy and planning. He is particularly interested in promoting inclusive development and environmental sustainability, including an analysis of hybrid governance, climate change adaptation and the application of transdisciplinary research methodology. He has extensive experience working in multidisciplinary research teams to reduce the vulnerability and impact of extreme weather events for improved well-being in cities.

He has worked extensively on urban transformation and sustainability issues in Ghana which have shaped not only urban policies but also translated into interventions in low-income communities in Accra. He has over 20 high impact peer reviewed articles, technical reports and policy briefs to his credit. His research works have been published in reputable journals including Cities; Science of the Total Environment; Journal of Transport Geography; and Habitat International, among others.